Tuesday 24 May 2016

Apps for the primary classroom

I was asked today to think of some apps I would recommend to others.  Here are just a few that I came up with.  There are many more that can be added...
Apps


Class Dojo- this app is a classroom management tool that can be used to award points to children for positive behaviour.  The you create a class you can then download an invitation for parents.  When they sign up they can see their child’s account.  It has another facility called class story, this can be used to send photos and messages to the all parents.  In the messages you can send individual messages to parents.  I use it to share positives with parents or to send a quick up date if a child came in upset.  I have had very positive feedback from parents regarding the use of this. Cost: free

Seesaw- This app allows you to keep digital portfolios of pupils that can be shared with parents.  Each parent is given an access code and can download the seesaw parent app.  Within the app you can take photos, videos, voice recordings, notes drawings and links.  You can also share to all parents using the blog.  Each child can be given a code to take responsibility for uploading their own work as well.  It is a great tool for engaging parents in their child’s learning. Cost: free





Dyslexia Quest- Important: This does not diagnose dyslexia.  This app is great for finding out quickly pupils strengths and weaknesses in the following areas; working memory, phonological awareness, processing speed, visual sequential memory, auditory sequential memory and visual memory.  The children have to complete a series of quests.  The results at the end can then be emailed so you have a record of how the child performed in the different quests.
Cost: £2.99





Hairy Letters- A simple app that helps children to learn the letters and the corresponding sounds.  Children then trace the letter.  It is great for reinforcing letter knowledge.  Children can then build simple words as they collect more letters.  A simple but effective game.  It is an English app rather than American so the phoneme pronunciations are correct, which is really important.
Cost: £0.79





Clicker Sentences- This app is expensive but has some fantastic features.  If you have used clicker software before it is quite straight forward to use.  You create word banks each word bank is for one sentence.  You can choose whether the words are jumbled or in order.  The app reads the sentences back to the child when they reach the end of the sentence.  It has the facility for children to type their own words using a keyboard as well.  Pictures can be put with the words to support children.
Cost: £24.99






Book Creator- Children can create their own books using text, pictures, videos, drawing and sound recordings.  The books can be printed as pdf’s, saved to iBooks or uploaded as a video that can then be shared in other apps such as seesaw.  There is a choice of formats that can be used including comic strips.  It is great for encouraging even the most reluctant of writers.  If you use the free version you can only make one book but with the paid for version you can make numerous books.
Cost: £3.99


Squeebbles: There are a range of apps now all covering different maths skills.  They engage children through challenges in which they can then collect different squeebles.  The activities help children to practice at their own pace in which they can try to improve.
Cost: £2.99

Spellfix Y3-Y6 word lists-  You have to find 8 spelling in each level using the clues on screen and the letters you are given.  It helps to ensure that children are developing an awareness of the meaning of words not just how to spell them.  There are 30 levels in total and it’s very addictive.
There are a number of other spell fix apps such as the ll pattern and ar, ay and oy.

Cost: £0.79

1 comment:

  1. I've already downloaded the Seesaw app and testing it on my computer and mobile phone. Thanks for suggesting it, it might help me from keeping all the paper portfolios. Of course, I'll still have their paper portfolios, but this way I can see how responsible my students are with keeping everything up to date in their Seesaw portfolios too.
    Thanks a lot!

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